Mission

To find integrative breakthrough solutions that conserve the environment and meet the vital needs of the developing world.

Vision

By 2050, over 9 billion people are projected to compete for scarce resources on a planet experiencing the effects of severe climate change. We envision a world that meets its people's needs for health and nutrition, while developing sustainable exonomies and preserving the natural diversity of its ecosystems.

Goals

To create a network of permanent, multi-disciplinary enterprises focused on innovative, evidence-based solutions to critical development challenges. The first will be the Congo Basin Institute (CBI) located in Cameroon, Africa, dedicated to finding solutions to the interconnected issues of climate change, human disease, food and water security, and loss of biodiversity.

How We Work

Together with our globally recognized partners, we will leverage the diverse resources of universities, industry, government, and development organizations. Emphasizing in-country building, the CBI will expand the existing campus of our International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) partner in Yaoundé to include a Research and Education Park that will provide a variety of buildings and resources. This innovative CBI structure will enable rapid scaling up of programs and partners to address emerging development issues, as well as advance project replication in other regions within Congo Basin nations.

The Center for Tropical Research, located on the third floor of La Kretz Hall, is part of the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at the University of California, Los Angeles. For general inquiries, contact Christa Gomez, CTR Office Manager, at (310) 206-6234, or by email at cgomez@lifesci.ucla.edu. Visitors are always welcome.